Africa’s largest privately owned refinery is not finished growing — not by a long shot.
The Dangote Group has revealed a long-term expansion strategy that would push its total refining capacity across Africa to 2.1 million barrels per day.
That figure encompasses the current 1.4 million barrels per day at the Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemicals complex in Lagos, Nigeria, and a planned new 700,000-barrel-per-day refining facility in Kenya, designed specifically to serve East African energy markets.
To get there, the Group intends to invest an additional $46 billion between 2026 and 2028 across its refining, cement, and fertiliser businesses.
The scale of that investment signals that Dangote is positioning itself not just as a Nigerian industrial giant, but as the backbone of African energy self-sufficiency.
The announcement coincided with a high-profile visit to the Lagos refinery by a delegation from the Republic of the Congo’s national oil company, Société Nationale des Pétroles du Congo (SNPC).
The visit, led by SNPC Managing Director Maixent Raoul Ominga, opened discussions on a strategic partnership between SNPC and Dangote focused on refined petroleum products supply, energy security, industrial development, and knowledge sharing between the two organisations.
Congo’s National Oil Company Signals Deep Interest in Partnership
Ominga was candid about what drew the Congolese delegation to Lagos. He praised the refinery as proof that Africa could finance, build, and operate world-class industrial infrastructure entirely on its own terms.
“We have visited this remarkable refinery, which represents a major industrial achievement for Africa. The Republic of the Congo has refining capacity and we are keen to explore strategic cooperation that will help strengthen the supply of refined petroleum products while creating value for both organisations,” he said.
Beyond the refinery, Ominga also acknowledged Dangote’s existing footprint in his country.
He commended the Group’s cement investments in the Republic of the Congo, saying they had strengthened local industrial capacity, expanded production, and improved access to construction materials across the country.
For its part, Dangote Industries President and Chief Executive Aliko Dangote — Africa’s wealthiest individual and the driving force behind the Lagos refinery — made clear that the Group’s ambitions extend far beyond Nigeria’s borders.
“We are for Africa, not just Nigeria. Tell us what you need, and we will see how we can work together,” Dangote told the visiting delegation.
$46 Billion Investment and Kenya Plant Define the Next Phase
The full scope of the expansion was laid out during the visit by Group Vice President for Oil and Gas, Devakumar Edwin.
He confirmed the 2.1 million barrel per day target and the Kenya refinery plan, framing both as part of a deliberate strategy to reduce Africa’s dependence on refined petroleum products imported from outside the continent.
Edwin’s disclosure of the $46 billion investment plan for 2026 to 2028 covers not just refining but also the Group’s cement and fertiliser operations — sectors where Dangote already holds dominant positions across multiple African countries.
The Group’s Group Executive Director for Commercial Oil and Gas, Fatima Aliko Dangote, was also present at the meeting, alongside advisers to the President of the Republic of the Congo, Peggy Ndongo, and SNPC advisers Aymar Ebiou and Norbert Mabiala.
The Dangote Petroleum Refinery in Lagos — the largest single-train refinery in the world at full capacity — has already begun reshaping fuel supply dynamics in West Africa since commencing production.
A fully operational 700,000-barrel Kenya plant would do the same for East Africa, potentially transforming the region’s dependence on fuel imports from the Middle East and Asia.
